Must be the Season of the Witch!

Well it seems that Twilight has now finally faded away into the darkness...both literally and figuratively, and thank goodness for that!  Those pesky, angsty, sparkling wannabes they call 'Vampires' are finally out of our hair for good, and just in time for the 'Damsels of Darkness' to begin their reign.  Yep, there has most definitely been something brewin' the last few years with a noticeable increase this past year specifically....must be the 'Season of the Witch!  The last few years we've slowly witnessed a changing of the 'Occult Guard', so to speak.  Has anyone else noticed the unusual uptick in all things 'Witchy' this past year?  Well I have, and I do believe that Witches and Wizards are not only on trend this year specifically....but they are manifesting in the public psyche everywhere.  Yeah, Vampires are so yesterday....

But why Witches?  And why now?  In fact, all things of a supernatural bent seem to be gaining traction in America, and abroad.  But what of Witches in particular?  As an example of just how mainstream Witches and Wizards, (both good and bad) have become....
I present the sudden uptick of recent Witch/Wizard related TV programming:
1.)  Witches of East End
2.)  American Horror Story - Coven
3.)  Salem
4.)  Sleepy Hollow
5.)  The Originals
6.)  Vikings
7.)  The Good Witch's Charm (Hallmark Channel 2012)
8.)  The Good Witch's Destiny (Hallmark Channel 2013)
9.)  The Good Witch's Wonder (Hallmark Channel 2014)
10.)  The Good Witch Television Series (Hallmark Channel Debut 2015)

The Witches of Salem

American Horror Story - Coven

The Good Witch - Cassie Nightingale

The Beauchamp Family - The Witches of East End

And Witch themed Movies or Movies featuring Witches / Sorcery:
1.)  Harry Potter Series (Obviously, although not recent)
2.)  Oz the Great and Powerful - 2013
3.)  Brave (Disney - 2012)
4.)  Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters - 2013
5.)  The Lords of Salem (Rob Zombie - 2012)
6.)  Frozen (Disney - 2013)
7.)  Maleficent (Disney - 2014)
8.)  The Hobbit (2012, 2013, 2014)
9.)  The Conjuring - 2013
10.) Into the Woods - 2014
11.) The Bell Witch - 2013

Evanora, The Wicked Witch of the West - Oz the Great and Powerful

Maleficent

Gandalf the Grey - Lord of the Rings

And as if the Witches weren't already flying mainstream enough, it seems they've sparked a fashion trend as well. On the runways for 2014 you'll find a decidedly Witchy influence in the fashion offerings of designers such as:
1.)  Gareth Pugh
2.)  Anne Demeulemeester
3.)  Cushnie Et Ochs
4.)  Elie Saab
5.)  Yves St. Laurent

 

So what do you make of all of this Hocus Pocus? Do we find ourselves here in America, in the midst of a bonafide uprising of Witchcraft?  Or is the archetypal Witch just the Occult Symbol du Jour, destined to soon be replaced in the mainstream consciousness with the next Supernatural Superstar?  And if Vampires are just 'so yesterday', and Witches begin flying off our cultural radar again....what will be next to capture our fascination....could the 'Zombie Apocalypse' be just around the corner?
(Copyrights for all photos belong to their respective film studios, all rights reserved.)